“Mom. What would have happened to us if your mom didn't have you?"
The child who asked was little.
I was shocked by the question.
Still, I grabbed a nearby whiteboard and quickly scratched out our family tree.
I took my time while I jotted each child's name down.
While this child watched, I took my fist.
And erased their names.
Then, I erased mine.
At that moment, our kids understood the gravity of what my birth mom didn't do.
Since 1973, there have been more than 60,000,000 children erased by abortion.
Still.
Abortion will not end if the Supreme Court overturns Roe.
Governor Reeves, of Mississippi, explained that overturning Roe would not mean that abortions would be illegal again across the U.S., though he would be happy if that happened. Instead, the power to protect unborn babies or keep abortions legal would return to the states.
"I want to make sure everyone is clear that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, that doesn't mean no one in America is going to have access — although that might make people like me happy — but what it does mean is that all 50 states, the laboratories of democracy, are going to have the ability to enact their laws concerning abortion," he said. "And I think that's the way it should be in America."
While we wait on the Supreme Court's decision in the Mississippi case, expected around June, I must address Justice Sotomayer's statement comparing the unborn to brain dead individuals.
Sotomayor paraded her scientific ignorance, callously comparing a fetus recoiling from pain to the muscle reflex of a brain-dead patient.
"There's about 40% of dead people who, if you touch their feet, the foot will recoil," she said.
Brain-dead people do not "recoil" from painful stimuli as living people do. One of the ways we diagnose brain death is by documenting the loss of response to pain… But there is simply no "recoil" to touch in brain death.
Dead things do not react to pain.
They can't.
Sotomayor's statement is a denial of objective truth.
Even the tiniest babies feel pain.
And we are obligated to protect them.
So, we stand for life.
But, while we wait on the Supreme Court, where do we go from here?
First?
By looking at reality. And the reality is, we don't just fight for the unborn. We fight for their parents, too.
The truth is, too many people in our communities have been broken by abortion. The pain of regret threatens to consume them. And they suffer in silence.
But do those women and men, our neighbors, know that we stand with them? Do they know there is help? Do they know that they are not alone?
Do they know that there are an estimated 2,700 pro-life pregnancy centers across the United States?
Recent research by the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that these centers served almost 2 million people in 2019, providing more than 730,000 pregnancy tests, nearly half a million ultrasounds, 1.3 million packs of diapers, and more than two million baby outfits.
Do they know about pro-life pregnancy centers?
Another new study confirms that pro-life pregnancy resource centers succeed in helping mothers choose life for their babies.
The study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that abortion-minded women who visit pregnancy centers are 30% more likely to change their minds and give birth to their babies, National Review reports.
Pro-life pregnancy centers are community-based non-profits that provide free pregnancy and parenting support to millions of people every year across the U.S.
Their services include counseling, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting classes, maternity and baby clothes, diapers, and car seats. Some also offer medical services, including well-women exams and STD testing and treatment. Many offer post-abortion counseling as well.
Finally, for those who give life through adoption - do they know, do you know, that nearly 100 million Americans have adoption in their immediate family?
Including adopting, placing, or being adopted?
Six in 10 Americans have had personal experience with adoption, meaning that they, a family member, or a close friend was adopted, had adopted a child, or had placed a child for adoption.
From pro-life pregnancy centers to adoption and foster care, let's continue to serve one another compassionately.
Let's stand with parents who face unexpected pregnancies.
Let's offer help as often as it's needed.
Finally, let's stand together as we fight for the unborn, with the hope that one day, it becomes unthinkable to erase one more life.
Amie Beth Shaver is a speaker, writer, and media commentator. Her column appears every Wednesday in 1819 News. Shaver served on the Alabama GOP State Executive Committee, was a candidate for State House 43 and spokeswoman for Allied Women. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
